What Is a PBX Phone System? Which One Is Right for Your Business?

What Is a PBX Phone System? Which One Is Right for Your Business?

What Is a PBX Phone System? Which One Is Right for Your Business?

If you’ve been searching for the best business phone system for your company, chances are you’ve been inundated with a lot of information. Today, you have more telecom choices than ever before. One of your options is a PBX phone system. So, what is PBX phone system, and is it the right choice for you?

What is PBX?

PBX stands for Private Branch Exchange. Think of it as an internal telephone network of a business or other entity. PBX phone system users can communicate with one another over the phone via internal lines, and make and receive external calls as well. A PBX phone system usually delivers business telephony features such as call forwarding, call transfer, call queue, auto-attendant, voicemail, etc.

PBX systems operate by using either VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) or via analog or digital phone lines. With a PBX phone system, the physical phone line coming into your business can be split into multiple lines, allowing you to support more telephones. Better yet, calls between users are free.

Types of PBX Phone System

If you believe a private branch exchange phone system is your best choice, you still have some decisions to make. Check out each type of PBX telephone service that is available for your company.

Analog PBX Phone System

This is the traditional, intra-office telephone system, and has been around for decades. It is connected via Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) lines to the PSTN (public switched telephone network). Phone calls, even fax transmissions are handled by the PBX using physical phone lines. The analog PBX phone system allows calls to be made and transferred within the location. They also handle the incoming and outgoing calls using outside lines.

Keep in mind that analog systems came before the Internet, and use traditional copper phone lines. This means they cannot use many of the modern-day features you might see in more advanced telephone systems such as multimedia services, converting voicemail to email, or remote working capabilities. Also, if your business grows, you may need to add new jacks and telephone wires to support additional employees. On the plus side, because traditional PBX systems are self-contained, connectivity is not impacted if the Internet were to go down.

VoIP PBX System

VoIP or IP PBX represents a newer version of private branch exchange. It has the same functions as a traditional PBX, but also provides many additional features. In addition to that, it may be a more cost-effective option. Rather than using traditional phone lines, IP PBX uses the Internet protocol. Voice is converted into data that is transmitted over the Internet, then it is converted back to voice for the receiver.

How Does A Pbx Phone System Work

With an IP PBX, maintenance and growth are quite simple. You’ll also have access to unified communications features such as BOYD (Bring Your Own Device) mobility, video conferencing, and messaging, that analog PBX systems are incapable of. Besides, IP PBX also works outside of a single location.

Infographic VoIP vs. Analog PBX: The Differences and Top Considerations

On-Premises & Cloud PBX Systems

Cloud PBX

Cloud PBX is also known as hosted PBX. It is a subtype of an IP phone system. It is running using an internet connection to a VoIP service provider. No on-site equipment is needed other than the physical phones and an internet connection. That’s because all of that is taken care of by the service provider. All incoming and outgoing calls are routed through the service provider who either transmits the voice to data packets, or hands the call off to a PSTN (public switched telephone network).

To use hosted PBX phone systems, you simply need a broadband connection to the Internet. This option supports multiple telephony devices, including office conference phones and smartphones. It also offers a variety of advanced features.

On-Premises PBX

This is slightly different than hosted PBX telephone systems. It still uses voice-over IP technology to manage the business telephone system. However, the servers to manage outgoing and incoming calls are maintained on-site. Here, the available features are basically the same. It uses internet connectivity, can support mobile devices, and offers perks such as voicemail to email.

The challenge to on-premises PBX is that there is an initial upfront cost of installation and maintenance. Companies that choose this type of PBX phone system will need to have an IT staff that is capable of maintaining it.

However, that cost will go down over time. It protects you from fee raises which results in reduced monthly costs after expenses are covered. On-premises IP PBX also allows users to retain their relationship with an existing phone service provider, and to configure their system internally.

Blog On-Premises PBX vs. Cloud PBX? How To Choose For Your Business

Benefits of a PBX System

Many of the benefits of PBX phone systems depend on the type that you choose. For example, an analog PBX may be affordable and work fine for you if your business growth is relatively static. You can also count on your legacy phone system to stay up and running when other internet-based phone systems are down.

Benefits of Hosted PBX Phone Systems

If you are looking for phone systems for a growing business, check out hosted PBX:

  • Plug-and-play set up.
  • Scalability.
  • Supporting on-site and mobile workers.
  • Collaboration features such as conferencing, screen sharing, and instant messaging.
  • No hardware equipment and professional IT staff required.
  • Easiest unified communications system to install and maintain.
  • Features that empower customer support teams.
  • Integration with CRM, Microsoft Teams, and other 3rd party systems.
  • A great option for small businesses without funds to invest in telephony infrastructure.

Benefits of On-site PBX

There are some perks to owning an on-site system PBX. These include:

  • Low operational costs.
  • Additional control through owning the equipment.
  • Maintaining your relationship with your telephone company.
  • No monthly or annual licenses or subscription fees.
  • More ability to determine the level of security.

Choosing A PBX System for Your Business

Clearly, PBX services are an excellent choice for many business owners. However, the choice to go with PBX for your company is only the first. Now, you must decide which type of PBX solutions are best, based on your needs. Here are something to consider.

Your Infrastructure

The best PBX phone system for your business may depend largely on your current infrastructure. Consider these questions:

  • Do you have an in-house IT staff?
  • Are they well-versed in telephony concepts such as SIP trunking?
  • What solution are you using for telecom right now?
  • Which legacy systems do you have to integrate with your new telephony solution?
  • Do you work from a single office or many?

Your Size and Projected Growth

Are you an SME or larger? Growing or shrinking? Will you be adopting any sort of technology solutions that will impact the number of lines you need, the type of service you need, or if you will need features like call routing, video conferencing, or mobile worker support?

Your Budgets

There will be some costs with implementing any service. However, depending on your choices, something may be virtually free. For example, a hosted or on-premises VoIP PBX will allow you to add and remove lines easily at no cost. If you stick with an analog configuration, that means physically installation costs as well as paying for the new lines.

Operational Model

How does your business work? Most of your workforce might be in the office most of the time, or you may have plenty of field staff that needs connectivity in the outside world. Do you consider your workforce to be tech-forward, or more traditional?

Reach out to a VoIP PBX provider with the answers to all of these questions in mind. They will be able to help you choose an option that best suits your need.

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User Login

Instantaneously receive user login credentials via email once the extension has been deployed by the adminstrator.

Log in conveniently via any web browser for access to the user portal.

Integrations

Integrate various CRM software for better customer service and satisfaction.

Enable transcription of audio messages into text with integration of third-party transcription service.

Enable API for integration with various third-party integrations for advanced performance such as call center and hotel reception services.

System

Provision email SMTP and template settings for event notifications to be sent out.

Manage storage allocation and duration of various types of data being stored on the PBX.

Determine the types of event notifications to be sent out, and the parties receiving them.

IVR

Add various audio voice prompts to be played according to different call scenarios.

Add voice prompts on multiple levels for more effecient and precise inbound call routing.

Voicemail

Customize default voicemail settings for each user extension.

Add various voicemail messages for allocation to different call scenarios and users.

Provision specific rules to how voicemail messages are played over the PBX system for better caller experience.

Reports and CDR

All call log activities are stored, with the option of having audio conversations recorded by default or for specific extensions.

Use intuitive visual call reports, to check various call statistics over extensions, trunks, queues, ring groups, and more.

Call reports can be viewed and downloaded directly from the PBX, or scheduled to be sent via email to respective parties.

Security

Restrict a general group or specific IP addresses to prevent unauthorized access to your PBX.

Limit the number of otbound calls users are allowed to make within a time period to protect against toll fraud.

Restrict certain country codes for outbound calls either company-wide or on certain extensions.

User Login

Determine extension ranges for different functions.

Define use of different voice prompts depending on call scenarios or intended function.

Provision basic and advanced SIP settings to be used on the PBX.

Recordings

Record all calls made on specified trunks, including inbound and outbound calls.

Recordings

Record all calls made on specified extensions, conferences, or call queues.

Paging and Intercom

Create different types of paging and intercom broadcast groups for selected extensions.

Set a time schedule to automatically start your broadcast.

Maintenance

Check for and download firmware upgrades to ensure that your PBX is always up-to-date.

Perform back-ups to prevent data and settings from getting lost.

Perform troubleshooting on your own to debug.

Conference

Pre-set conference settings and dial-in passwords for security, and allow internal users to send conference invites to external parties.

Speed Dial

Create multiple speed dial numbers to respective external numbers frequently used for outgoing calls.

Speed dial is activated when the set prefix (default or customized) is dialed.

Ring Group

Create multiple ring groups and determine custom ring strategies and failover settings for each.

Call Queue

Create different call queues with specific ring strategies and failover settings.

Static agents permanently answer calls in queue, while dynamic agents can log in and out. Allocate different extensions to each group.

Determine what actions are to be allowed for Mangers or Agents to manage on the Queue Panel.

Call Control

Have calls received on specific SIP trunks routed to designated extensions or destinations within the PBX.

Set-up dial patterns so that outbound calls are routed to their intended destinations.

Determine how calls are routed and received at different times of a day.

Contacts

Store, retrieve, and share company contact details easily on your PBX.

Organize company contacts into dedicated phonebooks and determine accessibility rights to extension groups for each.

Bulk import a list of contacts instead of having to key details in individually.

Role and Client Permission

Pre-defined user roles within the PBX are conveniently available for allocation, or create your own set of permissions.

Restrict users from viewing specific extensions, departments, or extension groups with Extension Visibility.

Allow or resrict specific users from managing or viewing certain company contacts

Auto Provision

Pre-defined setting parameters specific to respective IP phone models are conveniently available for easy set-up.

IP Phones can be quickly provisioned to your Yeastar PBX with just the pre-defined template and device MAC address.

Trunks

Register multiple SIP trunks on a single PBX as needed.

Different types of trunks can be created, Caller ID can be customized.

Extensions

View, deploy, add, and remove user extensions within your PBX system.

Configure default call and user settings for individual extensions.

Customize allocation of user extensions to specific ring groups.

Portal Login Page

Receive your administrator log-in credentials and set-up guide via email.

Log-in on any web-browser to get started with PBX set-up.

Installation Wizard will guide you through basic configurations.

User Login

Access all company contacts made available to you by the administrator.

Create your own personal contacts list for easy reference and dialing.

Bulk import contact details for convenient data entry.

User Login

Access and manage user settings for softphone application and voicemail.

Manage call routing and presence status for your individual extension.

Retrieve or download your personal call logs and recordings.

User Login

Receive your log-in credentials and set-up guide via email, sent by your admin.

Log-in on any web-browser to get started with PBX set-up.

Configure contacts and personal settings from the web portal.

Auto Provision

Add, remove, or modify IP phone settings from your web interface.

Upgrade IP phone firmware conveniently from your PBX.

Upload various default setting parameters specific to respective IP phone models for greater convenience during set-up.

Contacts

Store, retrieve, and share company contact details easily on your PBX.

Have detailed contact information for your vendors and clients conveniently stored .

Bulk add a list of contacts instead of having to key details in individually.

PBX Monitor

Monitor the status extensions, whether they aren idle, in use, or unavailable.

Know whether your SIP Trunk running properly, or experiencing problems.

Monitor the number of call conferences currently running on your PBX, and their individual durations.

Maintenance

Check for and download firmware upgrades to ensure that your PBX is always up-to-date.

Perform back-ups to prevent data and settings from getting lost.

Perform troubleshooting on your own to debug.

Call Detailed Report

All call log activities are stored, with the option of having audio conversations recorded by default or for specific extensions.

Filter by date, time, or extension number to retrieve specific call logs or recordings

Playback call recordings directly from the PBX or download to store externally.

Event Center

Determine what events and logs are to be recorded and/or have notifications sent.

Specify particular notifications to be sent to respective authorized personnel.

User Permission

Set up vaious groups of users for allocation to certain sets of access rules.

Determine what features a certain group of extensions can or cannot access.

Determine if users can access, play-back, or download call logs and recordings from the pbx.

Security

Restrict a general group or specific IP addresses to prevent unauthorized access to your PBX.

Determine specific the range of SIP ports for connection between your PBX and endpoints.

Restrict country codes for outbound calls either company-wide or on certain extensions.

Voice Prompt

Upload and designate customised audio recordings at multiple levels of a call journey.

Upload recorded music to fill the silence that would be heard by callers on hold.

Upload customised voice prompts to create a professional call experience.

General

Customize general call preferences either company-wide or for individual extensions.

Set-up feature dial codes for convenient user navigation to specific call features.

Determine how voicemails are retrieved, and also upload custom voicemail recordings.

Call Features

Add multiple automated responses to be played at different phases of a call journey.

Designate specific extensions to ring concurrently based on an external caller's dial pattern.

Customize messages and waiting times to keep external callers engaged when put on hold.

Call Control

Have calls received on specific SIP trunks routed to designated extensions within the PBX.

Set-up dial patterns so that outbound calls are routed to their intended destinations.

Determine how calls are routed and received at different times of a day.

Trunks

Register multiple SIP trunks on a single PBX as needed.

Provision SIP trunk settings and dedicate them to particular extensions.

Bulk add DDIs on each SIP trunk, for allocation to an individual or groups of extensions.

Extensions

View, deploy, add, and remove user extensions within your PBX system.

Allocate and deploy specific extension numbers to respective users via email.

Set-up default ring and presence status settings for individual users.

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Deal One View

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View cases created for a Deal in One View.

View cases created for a Deal in One View.

Deal One View

View cases created for a Deal in One View.

View cases created for a Deal in One View.

View cases created for a Deal in One View.